Wiper ring assembly



1 L0 U0 g I y Aug. 28, 1951 E. J. HRDLICKA, JR 2,565,923

WIPER RING ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 12, 1945 I w n I) w v x EYDWJPXRD JH DLICKAQR Ways Patented Aug. 28, 1951 WIPER RING ASSEMBLY Edward J. Hrdlicka, Jr., Painesville Ohio, assignor to Hydraulic Equipment Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 12, 1945, Serial No. 634,594

6 Claims.

1 This invention relates to wiper ring assemblies and more particularly to devices for maintaining clean the surfaces of piston rods, ram plungers and the like, serving the dual purposes of mainon a greatly enlarged scale; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through the wiper ring apart from its supporting and expanding mechanism.

When using various types of hydraulic, pneutaining at a minimum the undesired film of op- 5 matic, and steam operated equipment where the erating or lubricating fluid on the exposed plungpiston rod or ram plunger surface is exposed to er which tends to collect dust and grit particles particularly gritty, dusty or dirty atmospheric from the air, and of removing any such collected conditions, it is found that the life of the packing particles to prevent them from being drawn into which maintains the operating fluid in place is 'the packing and/or cylinder. often extremely short and insevere cases where It is a general object of the present invention the foreign matter is abrasive the plunger may to provide a novel and improved wiper ring asbecome badly scratched or scored and sometimes sembly. prevents satisfactory operation of the mechanism More particularly it is an object of the invenafter a short term of use. tion to provide a self-compensating wiper ring In devices of the above type either the operatassembly capable of maintaining substantially ing fluid or the lubricating medium, if they are uniform pressure contact with the engaging different, forms a microscopic film on the surplunger over a long period of time in spite of face of the piston rod or plunger a 11; is wear. tended which serves to collect foreign matter in One of the more important objects of the the atmosphere and draw the same back through invention is to provide a wiper ring having a conthe packing when the plunger is retracted. Not figuration capable of cooperating with the walls only does this matter subject the packing to an of a ring housing whereby the ring may be propabrasive action which quickly wears it out but it erly positioned and stressed over a long period of also contaminates the operating and lubricating time by means of a swellable ring responsive to fluids and may affect the whole operating sysa fluid wiped from the rod surface. tem. Any abrasive remaining lodged in the A further object of the invention comprises the packing subjects the plunger to scoring. use with a wiper ring, of a compression element Many machine elements which are not operformed of material capable of combining with a ated by a pressure fluid nevertheless have close fluid wiped from the rod surface to provide subfits in lubricated guides or sleeves, the bearing stantially continuous minute increases in comsurfaces of which need protection against grit, pression of the material of the ring to compensate dust, shavings and the like which may accumufor its wear and maintain a nearly constant late on the lubricated surface of a projected part pressure on the plunger. and later be drawn into the bearings. I An important feature of the invention resides Dust boots and other types of seals have been in theme of a combined packing nut or follower heretofore proposed or used, but are cumbersome, and wiping ring carrier. expensive, short lived and often impractical. The Other and further objects and features of the present invention proposes a highly effective Wipinvention, including the low cost, ease of assemer which practically eliminates troubles from bly and replacement and the like, will be more foreign matter, first by substantially reducing the apparent to those skilled in the art upon a conquantity of lubricating or operating medium siderationof the accompanying drawing and folforming the film on the surface of the rod or lowing specification, wherein is disclosed a single plunger. This materially reduces the accumulaexemplary embodiment of the invention with the tion of foreign matterv and then on the return understanding that such changes and modificastroke the wiper cleans off all of this matter and tions may be made therein as fall within the prevents it from entering the packing. scope of the appended claims without departing Referring now to the drawings and first to from the spirit of the invention. Fig. 1, which illustrates an embodiment. of the In said drawing: "invention as applied to an hydraulic ramor Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in radial sechoist, there is shown at it) a ram cylinder in the tion, of a hydraulic ram or hoist equipped with a form of a thin walled steel tube equipped with a wiper ring assembly constructed in accordance welded-in bottom head H and the fluid supply with the present invention; spud l2.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary radial section through At the upper or outer end a combined packing the cylinder wall of the device of Fig. 1 shown and head member [4 is welded to the cylinder In and includes an inwardly projecting stop ring 3 portion [5 for limiting the outward movement of the plunger, which ring at its opposite or outer end forms a seat for the packing. The outer end portion of M, which is coextensive with the cylinder wall, is internally threaded adjacent its end as at IS.

The piston or plunger assembly includes a second thin walled tube 20 having a relatively close sliding fit within IE. It is supplied with a welded-in bottom 2i having a radial flange serrated as at 22 to permit fluid, entering through i2, to get beneath the same. Theeperating head 23 at the opposite or outer end of the, plun er is of the same external diameter as the tube 2ll and is welded thereto. Thisplunger. is assembled from the bottom end of the cylinder before welding in the bottom head II. The projecting pori tions of flange 22 are adapted to engage beneath the stop r s t Pre ent h p n e mber passing out of the cylinder. Any load to be moved is actuated by the head 23, the cylinder beinc. s ened o n as b racke 5- In order to prevent leakage of the operating I fluid suitable packi referabl of the multiple chevron type, is fitted as, at 28 resting on the outer faceof the stop ring l5 and subject to compression and consequent expansion, to engage the plunger surface, by means of the follower ring or Packing nut 3D; which has a portion externally threaded to engage with the thread IS in head member 14.

This follower ring shown in great detail in Fig, 2. including the flange or outer nut portion 32, dentated as at 3.3. to provide a grip for a spanner type wrench, It has a shoulder 34 which may seat against the vhead M to limit tightening of the packing Ih thiscase the number of packing rings is adjusted to get the desired tightness. The; packing follower-portion of includesan annular section, 36" externally threaded to engagethethreads l t-6 in the; head hi and havingits inner end-surface. channeled or grooved as at 31 to properly copperata with the apex of the top packing: ring Without in any wise enlarging. or changing the externallshapciqfi thepacking nut it is made to accommodate; the wiper ring forming, the principal subject of the present invention. For this purpose it willibe noted that this nut is bored as at 40 to have aleoseclearance with thesurface of the. ram: cyliu der. if: and that the radial wall 41 near the shouldenfllextend's.outwardly from this to meet a cylindri all Wall 42 which meets at an obtuse anglaan inclihedouter wall 43. In-

stead ofpermitting thi's wall 43. to meet at a sharp edgewi'th the topor outer surface A l of the nut an enlarged cylindrical bore 45 joins these merging surfaces, It, will be seen that there is thusfformed' an: annular chamber to accommodate a l'arge portion of the. wiper ring and that. in crosssection tlz is chamber istgenerally trapezoidal in form The. wiper ring is built to; fit largely within the chamber thusidescribed andis defined by an annular outer surface 52 adapted when new to closely engage the su rface. 42 of the chamber. Likewise there is an upward inclined wall 5.3

meeting the corresponding wall, in the chami her. A shoulder 55 against the wall of the annular bore 45 The rear; portion ofthe wiper ring, however, is not formed to fit against radial wall 4| but isiprovidedzwithwa relatively large deep V-groove formed by wallszifir and 51;

The inner-surfaces-of-sthe ring w-hich: face the plunger include a central cylindrical portion 58 slightly spaced from the plunger, an inwardly inclined forward portion terminating in contacting edge 59 and an inwardly inclined rear portion terminating in contacting edge 60. The surface whose edge 59 closely bears on the plunger meets with the sloping outer surface 6|, which is exposed beyond the packing nut, at an acute angle and the two combine to wipe off any combination of liquid and foreign matter and to roll the same up on the surface BI and break it into sections so that it falls off whereby the ring is self clea ring. The surface whose edge 60 also engages the plunger and wipes off lubricant or operating liquid during the extension of the plunger, meets the surface 51 at a very sharp angle, insuring effective reduction of the lubricant film to extreme thinness on the outward stroke. The relieved inner surface 58 reduces friction on the plunger and contributes to the sharpness of the wiping edges 59 and 60..

Since the wiping ring is subject to wear, alrrangements are made to automatically advance the engaging faces or lips toward the plunger at a rate substantially commensurate with, the" fate of: wear. This is efieote'd by means of an expander ring fitting in the. \7-g'r'o1oine, bearing against surfaces 56 and 51 of the wiper ring and against surface 4! of the packing nut recess.

When initially applied this. ring exerts but little pressure in any direction. It, however; is, formed of a rubber composition of such nature that it expands due to contact with the lubricating, or operating medium, which is usually 011., and this expansion, due to contact with this liquid; is controlled so as to allow for a substantiallyfixed growth of the ring. Thus. is. assured an easy initial assembly of the cylinder and plunger as well as substantially fixed: pressure, on the wiping edges 59 and 6D duringjoperatidn. Thetwo'rings 50 and 65- are' soproportioned that, at assembly no appreciable pressure is exerted; on the wiping edges but after a shortlpejriod oroperauo during which the expansion ring is subjected to" the action of the oil, itdiste'nds and causes the wiping edges to maintain afirm contact, with the plunger even though wor'h. ltiwillibesefen that radial expansion of ring 65 actsagainst'surface 51 to hold the wiping edgje'fin engagement with the plunger and} that reaction against surfaces 55, 511' and move'the Wholelwibrfring 'fo'rward so that surface 53 thereof. slides" down ring surface 43 and maintains edgjel 59' in proper engagement with the plunger.

The wiper ring isforme'd-o'f some resilient'material such as synthetic, rubber, which does; not react with and is unaffected by, ojil.-. or: operating liquid so that this ring ohang'estshap'elonly very slowly andsolely by reason of wear;

In-operation, when theram plunger is',ex'tend ed-, the major portion i of the, oil. or; otherl liquid is cleaned off. by means of the packing iingsill but a microscopic film escapesthese, rings andi isfurthen reducedin thicknessby the wiping actionoi thin edge-60 of the wiper ring; so thatthe tendency'of the- ;plungerto collect,foreigngnatter when extended is materially reduced. The; oil, thus scraped off of the plunger collects ,inthecircumferential groove 68 in the inner-walliofz thespackingl follower-and. some of: it.-.is--forceda into-,- the 1 chamber behind-the wiper ring;.where it canireact with the expansionring: 65;-to':produce; the; desired: swelling; When this; swelling; has; reached itsepredetermined maximum for. the time-interval involved the chamber, 682 serves'sas: a; temporary reservoir for a small quantity of oil.

When the plunger is retracted the edge 59 will wipe oif any foreign matter which may have collected or the remaining oil film and the self-clean- ,ing operation previously referred to takes place.

As the plunger in returning'passes edge 60 of the wiper ring, the oil stored in recess 68 and any excess in the chamber with the expansion ring serves to lubricate the plunger, providing a film of clean lubrication free from foreign matter which permits long packing life and'prevents plunger scoring.

If due to natural wear the packing begins to leak and an abnormal amount of oil collects on the plunger, the excess wiped off by wiper ring 50 is bled to the outside of the ram by means of a single radial hole opening from 68 outwardly where it discharges into an undercut channel 1| which leads the liquid to a bleeder hole 12 in the wall of the head M, as seen in Fig. 1. This hole can be eliminated if care is taken not to bring the head of the packing follower closely down against the end of the cylinder head. Where thehole is used it may be watched from time to time and the eiiluence of excess quantities of oil used as an indication that the ram packing is in need of replacement. This bleed arrangement also insures against blowouts of the wiping ring assembly.

While the above description has dealt specifically with a. fluid operated plunger it will be clear that the wiper ring assembly is of equal value in the absence of packing needing protection. For instance, a rod or shaft sliding in a lubricated hearing, such as the tail-stock of a lathe, may be equipped with a wiper in accordance with this invention and the bearing protected against wear resulting from foreign matter collecting on the rod. Such matter is reduced to a minimum by cleaning lubricant from the extending rod and wiping the foreign matter .from it during retraction.

The wiper ring assembly will be seen to be low in cost, easy to assemble or replace without the use of special tools and to have no projecting parts to interfere with ram operation or increase in ram size.

I claim:

1. In a fluid operated ram having a cylinder and sliding plunger, in combination, a packing compression nut secured to the cylinder surrounding the plunger and having an internal annular recess adjacent its outer end, a wiper ring having a generally radial flange housed in said recess and having an integral wiping band including axially spaced feather edges engaging the plunger, said radial flange having a V-groove in one of its faces partially defining one of said edges, an expander ring in said recess and groove and formed of material swelled by contact with fluid wiped from the plunger to apply pressure to at least said edge formed by said groove to compensate for wear thereon, said recess and wiper ring having cooperating inclined surfaces on the other side of said radial flange from the V-groove adapted to advance the other wiper edge toward the plunger as the expander ring swells in cross-section.

2. In an oil operated ram, in combination, a cylinder, a sliding plunger, a stufling-box surrounding the plunger and supported by the cylinder, packing for the plunger in said stufiing box, a packing nut secured in said stufling-box and having an internal annular chamber open toward the plunger, a wiper ring at least partially housed in said chamber, formed of oil resistant resilient material and having spaced feather. edges engaging the plunger to wipe the same in both directions of motion thereof, one wall of said chamber being substantially at right angles to the axis of said plunger, said wiper ring having the surface confronting said wall formed with a circumferential V-groove, an expander ring in said groove, engaging both walls thereof and the said chamber wall, said expander ring being subject to swelling when wet by oil to slowly increase in volume and compensate for wear on the wiper ring.

3. In an oil operated ram, in combination, a cylinder, a sliding plunger, a stuffing-box surrounding the plunger and supported by the cylinder, packing for the plunger in said stufiing box, a packing nut secured in said stuffing-box and having an internal annular chamber open toward the plunger, a wiper ring at least partially housed in said chamber, formed of oil resistant resilient material and having spaced feather edges engaging the plunger to wipe the same in both directions of motion thereof, one wall of said chamber being substantially at right angles to the axis of said plunger, said wiper ring having the surface confronting said wall formed with a circumferential V-groove, an expander ring in said groove, engaging both walls thereof and the said chamber wall, said expander ring being subject to swelling when wet by oil, the opposite wall of said chamber and the corresponding engaging wall of the wiper ring being divergent from the first wall in a radially inwardly direction whereby volumetric expansion of said expander ring causes the wiper ring to advance radially inwardly toward the plunger.

4. The combination claim-ed in claim 3 in which the inner wall of said V-groove forms one face of the feather edge which wipes the advancing plunger whereby oil is diverted into said groove to wet said expander ring.

5. The combination claimed in claim 3 in which the inner wall of said V-groove forms one face of the feather edge which wipes the advancing plunger whereby oil is diverted into said groove to wet said expander ring, and there is provided an additional reservoir in the packing nut for such wiped oil adapted to reapply the oil to the retracting plunger to lubricate the packing.

6. For use with a rod longitudinally slidable in a bore and subjected to lubrication, in combination, an internal annular chamber in the wall of said bore open toward the rod,'a wiper ring at least partially housed in said chamber, formed of resilient material resistant to the lubricant and having spaced feather edges engaging the rod to wipe the same in both directions of motion thereof, one wall of said chamber being substantially at right angles to the axis of said rod, said wiper ring having the surface confronting said wall formed with an annular V-groove, an expander ring in said groove, engaging both walls thereof and the said chamber wall, said expander ring being subjected to continuous slight swelling when Wet by said lubricant, the opposite wall of said chamber and the corresponding engaging wall of said wiper ring being flared toward said rod whereby expansion of said expander ring causes the wiper ring to advance along said flared wall toward the rod.

EDWARD J. HRDLICKA, JR.

(References on following page) 

